io6 The Ottawa Naturalist. [September 



WINTER GROWTH OF A WATER LILY. 



Walter S. Odell. 



When I uncovered my aquariam in my yard to-day (30th 

 March, 1903), the water at one end was not frozen, the other end 

 was covered with ice varying" from thin to three inches thick at the 

 farthest end. I was surprised to find that a Water Lily, Nymphma 

 chromatellay had two partly grown leaves, one smaller leaf and four 

 curled up leaves ready to unfold, and two flower buds, on the sur- 

 face of the water, while just underneath was a leaf curled up, not 

 so far advanced in growth. One bud was badly decayed ; the 

 other was small and rose above the surface of the water about one 

 and one-half inches. 



With this plant are several other water lilies, also Nelumbiums, 

 Calla palusiris, Cabomba, &c. Last autumn the leaves of all these 

 showed natural decay, except the Ny^nphcea odorata rosea, which 

 had six or eight very large vigorous cordate leaves mottled with 

 dull red, and a nearly mature flower bud, at the surface of the 

 water. This spring all these large leaves and their stems had 

 decayed and disappeared, while in their stead were the young 

 leaves and bud before mentioned. The C. pa/usfris started a shoot 

 three inches above the water before being trozen in the surface ice, 

 but had no growth when covered last fall. No other plant life 

 jvas visible there. 



The aquarium, measuring inside 14 in. x 7 in. x 2 ft., was filled 

 with water to the brim late last fall before frost ; a layer of boards 

 was pla:ed over it, then lar paper with overlapping edges ; about 

 a foot of wet manure was placed on this, while for a roof over all, 

 slanting boards covered with tar paper to keep off all rain com- 

 pleted the shelter. vVhen uncovered this spring, the manure was 

 frozen to the boards and possibly had frozen solid. Where the ice 

 was thickest the top boards were about four feet above the water. 



It seems strange that the N. odorata rosea should grow and 



have natural-colored leaves in the dark, during winter, instead of 



the pale light yellow leaves one would naturally expect to find on 

 plants growing away from sunlight; or that a plant should grow 

 at all with ice on the surface of the water. No water lilies start 

 in the Rideau River where the water is shallow and consequently 

 warmer, till vegetation is well advanced on land everywhere. 



